The Unbelievers Page #5

And it is a shame that it does.

Instead of being threatened

or having our faith threatened

by the discoveries of science,

we should realize

that we should

force our beliefs

to conform to the evidence

of reality rather than

the other way around,

and we should take joy

in the fact that

we are actually here

in this random moment

able to even ask

those questions

and get close enough

to the answers.

We don't have

the ultimate answers.

I don't claim in the book

that I have

the ultimate answers.

I talk about what's

plausible and the fact

that we're learning,

we're getting closer

and closer to even

potentially answering

these ultimate questions

is something that

we should all celebrate.

People shouldn't be

threatened by science.

Um, no,

I think that's fine.

Thank you very much.

Well, it's been nice

talking to you.

All right.

Bye, bye.

Lawrence krauss,

as always, a pleasure

to speak with you.

Same here. Thanks.

This is the nicest thing

I've seen in any library

recently.

Can I do that?

Is that pooh over there?

I got to go...

Professor Dawkins,

what do you see,

or rather hope

for the future

of atheism

in the public sphere?

My hope for the future

of atheism is that it will

no longer be necessary.

We don't call ourselves

"a-Thor-ists" and a-Zeus-ists"

and "a-leprechaun-ists"

because it's not necessary.

And my hope is that

the day will come

when it's simply

taken for granted

that everybody doesn't

believe in yahweh

any more than they believe

in Thor and Jupiter.

I think there's some indication

that the religious lobby

is getting increasingly

desperate

and is increasing

the venom and the vitriol

with which they fight back.

And I think what we may

be seeing is the beginning

of the death throes.

And when you see

a wounded animal

in its death throes,

it tends to lash out.

Listen, gentlemen,

can you be quiet for one second?

Nice to see all you

fine, strapping

young gentlemen here

to protest for

your religion.

But like I've been asking,

where are all of your women?

Where are all the women?

Where are all the women?

Where are all the women?

Where are all the women?

Where are all the women?

Where are all the women?

Infidels! Infidels!

Infidels!

Infidels!

Infidels!

Follow me don't follow me

I've got my spine

I've got my orange crush

collar me don't collar me

I've got my spine

I've got my orange crush

we are agents of the free

I've had my fun,

and now it's time to serve

your conscience overseas

coming in fast over me

this is a demonstration...

It's not one that

excludes religious people.

It's one that is inclusive

of all points of view.

It's definitely exciting.

It's definitely exciting,

and it re-enthuses you

to go out and do your thing

and stick to your guns.

We've made so many

amazing friends.

Fantastic people here.

orange crush

collar me, don't collar me

oh, I've talked to

all sorts of people.

Sit down with someone,

and you get up a conversation

without any trouble.

A friendlier sort

there may never be.

I've had my fun

and now it's time to serve

your conscience overseas

coming in fast over me

There is a similarity...

My friend Richard Dawkins,

who is here, was kind enough

to write the afterword

for the book,

and he made a wonderful

comparison, which is that

there's some similarity.

Before Darwin,

life was a miracle.

You couldn't ask, "where

did the diversity of life

come from?" It was a miracle.

It was designed.

What Darwin showed

were very simple

laws of biology.

Natural selection

and genetic mutation,

essentially,

could produce all

the diversity of life,

the complexity we now see,

from very simple beginnings

with no miracle.

Now, at the time he did it,

did it prove it? No.

But it was plausible.

Now there's been

150 years of proof.

Now we take it the next step.

Do we know how the first

forms of life started?

Absolutely not.

But it's certainly plausible

that, given everything

we know about genetics,

biochemistry,

that chemistry

by natural processes

can turn into biology.

Do we know that? No.

But it's plausible.

And that's worth celebrating...

That you don't need miracles.

And the same is true

for the universe.

We've taken from biology

to that fundamental question,

which was the last bastion,

for many people, of God:

"Why is there something

rather than nothing?

And said, "you don't need him."

If this is the case,

and our universe

just popped into existence

and space and time

were created in our universe

the moment it came

into existence,

along with the laws

of physics we measure,

then there's an object,

if you want to call it that,

that is greater

than our universe.

We call it in physics now

the multiverse,

in which case

there are many

possible universes.

From a philosophical

perspective,

people have a problem

with a universe that

had a beginning.

'Cause they want

something eternal

with no cause...

First cause,

prime mover... you pick

your philosophy or theology.

The point is that the multiverse

now serves the role

of the prime mover.

From a philosophical

perspective,

it can be eternal.

It could be eternal

and certainly beyond

our universe.

But the thing I also want to

point out... I've debated with

Christian apologists often,

and they say,

"you invented the multiverse

'cause you don't like God."

Well, it's true

I don't like God.

But the multiverse was proposed

because the laws of physics

are driving us to it.

I don't even like

the multiverse, but if nature

tells me that's the case,

and the laws of physics

are accidental,

I've got to live with it.

So, to conclude,

I've told you today

the universe can

come from nothing.

More importantly, I've told you

that you were far more

insignificant than

you ever thought,

and that's what I want you

to celebrate here today.

But instead of taking...

People say science takes away

spiritual fulfillment

and wonder and awe

and happiness.

You should be happier

because you're insignificant

and the future's miserable

'cause you're here today

and you're endowed

by evolution

with a conscience

and an intelligence

and you can ask these questions.

So instead of being depressed

and requiring meaning

in the universe

beyond your own existence,

you create your own meaning

and enjoy your brief

moment in the sun.

Thank you very much.

But the problem is that

most people, most of the time,

are desperate to

believe ridiculous

and divisive ideas for

patently emotional reasons.

And while rarely explicit,

what they're really

worried about is death.

When we're arguing

about teaching evolution

in the schools,

I would argue that

we are really

arguing about death.

It seems to me

the only reason why

any religious person

cares about evolution

is because if their holy books

are wrong about our origins,

they're very likely

wrong about our destiny

after death.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote